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This Christmas scene is inspired by the blue of the Pacific Ocean. The deepest tone in the room is Resene Biscay on the coffee table which anchors the room and the walls and floor are painted Resene Black White. Add in accent colours, in silver and white, with the star tray in Resene Silver Chalice and present boxes painted in Resene Biscay, Resene Frozen, Resene Quarter Frozen and Resene Silver Chalice. Large cut-out star in Resene Biscay, cut-out star in Resene FX Metallic in Resene Silver Aluminium and small solid star in Resene Frozen. Sofa from Danske Mobler, blue cushions from H&M, star cushion and canvas ‘Indigo Speckle’ from Freedom, rug from Kmart. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
Recycle old boxes or buy plain cardboard boxes and paint with testpots in Resene Biscay, Resene Frozen, Resene Quarter Frozen and Resene Silver Chalice and Resene Black White. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
Create a mood board by laying out your range of colours, and accent with highlights of silver and white, for a calm and serene Christmas colour palette. Resene A4 drawdowns left to right: Resene Double Silver Chalice, Resene Quarter Frozen, Resene Black White, Resene Frozen, Resene Biscay. Vase in Resene Silver Chalice, dowel star decoration in Resene Frozen. DIY present decorations in Resene Biscay with hand-painted Resene Black White, present box in Resene Frozen, star box in Resene Biscay and cut-out star decoration in Resene FX Metallic in Silver Aluminium. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
Bring joy to the world by layering tones of green in a room for a harmonious colour palette. Resene Secrets is painted on the wall and floor with the cabinet in Resene Ravine. Present boxes, building block decorations and round bauble decorations on tree are in Resene Cabbage Pont, Resene Timber Green, Resene Harp, Resene Saltpan, Resene Haven, Resene Spanish Green, Resene Xanadu, Resene Pumice, Resene Ravine and Resene Rainee. Solid arch vase in Resene Pumice, tall ribbed arch vase in Resene Spanish Green and tall ceramic tree decoration in Spanish Green. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
The DIY building block decorations and round bauble decorations on the tree are in Resene Cabbage Pont, Resene Timber Green, Resene Harp, Resene Saltpan, Resene Haven, Resene Spanish Green, Resene Xanadu, Resene Pumice, Resene Ravine and Resene Rainee. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
Create Christmas with the colours of the South Pacific: Blue and green festive ideas
Two festive room ideas
Christmas is on the cards… but not the one with snowy winter wonderlands!
Here, in the South Pacific the colours of our world are the calming blues of the sea and sky, the vibrant greens of foliage and reds of the flowering pōhutukawa. With a handful of Resene testpots you can create your own colour-themed decorations and made of natural materials. Or go one step further, theme your whole room in a new colourway, taking inspiration from our Pacific-themed rooms.
This Christmas scene is inspired by the blue of the Pacific Ocean. The deepest tone in the room is Resene Biscay on the coffee table which anchors the room and the walls and floor are painted Resene Black White. Add in accent colours, in silver and white, with the star tray in Resene Silver Chalice and present boxes painted in Resene Biscay, Resene Frozen, Resene Quarter Frozen and Resene Silver Chalice. Large cut-out star in Resene Biscay, cut-out star in Resene FX Metallic in Resene Silver Aluminium and small solid star in Resene Frozen. Sofa from Danske Mobler, blue cushions from H&M, star cushion and canvas ‘Indigo Speckle’ from Freedom, rug from Kmart. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
Create Christmas with the colours of the South Pacific:
Start with a plan
Every successful campaign starts with a plan. First, pick your colours. A mood board can help here. Make a Pinterest board online or grab a pair of scissors and cut up some old catalogues or magazines and take a hands-on approach until you’ve found a look you like that’ll complement your existing home décor.
We’ve chosen the relaxing, calming blue tones of the sea and skies as the theme in this room and added home-made Christmas decorations in the same tones.
We’ve used a paint palette in the blue/green range to create a serene look – a tranquil counterpoint to the stresses of the year. Creating a tonal theme means taking one main hue and using various tints and tones of that colour. It’s a great way to create a balanced, harmonious space.
Once you’ve got your ideas together, you can upload your images to the Resene Colour Palette Generator to get a good starting colour palette to work with.
Every room needs an accent to lift it out of the ordinary, and here we’ve used silver and white as highlights, doing double duty by adding some Christmassy flair.
Recycle old boxes or buy plain cardboard boxes and paint with testpots in Resene Biscay, Resene Frozen, Resene Quarter Frozen and Resene Silver Chalice and Resene Black White. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
Simply does it
Before you go over the top at the shops on too much tinsel - consider an eco-friendly approach to your home’s festive décor by making decorations out of recyclable materials. The best part is it’s surprisingly easy to achieve with little more than a few Resene testpots and cardboard and paper. You can make stylish statement boxes like these as an alternative to wrapping paper, either from leftover boxes or buying new ones. Make it a family activity and let each family member choose their own Resene colour testpots.
It’s a wrap! Boxing clever with present decorations
You will need:
- Resene testpots in two Resene colours of your choice, we used Resene Biscay and Resene Black White
- Testpot brushes
- Small artist brush for painting stars onto paper
- Sheets of A3 paper (we used a watercolour pad of paper which has a nice texture)
- Cubes of polystyrene (cut up your own from leftover packaging)
- String or twine
Step 1: Paint several sheets of A3 paper in your background colour. We used Resene Biscay.
Step 2: Once dry, paint stars on the paper in your contrasting colour. We used Resene Black White.
Step 3: Using your polystyrene cube as a guide, cut the A3 paper in large strips ready to wrap around the cube.
Step 4: Wrap each cube in the painted paper and secure the ends by tying the string or twine around. Make sure you leave some extra string/twine for hanging
Step 5: Hang on the tree and enjoy your handiwork.
Create a mood board by laying out your range of colours, and accent with highlights of silver and white, for a calm and serene Christmas colour palette. Resene A4 drawdowns left to right: Resene Double Silver Chalice, Resene Quarter Frozen, Resene Black White, Resene Frozen, Resene Biscay. Vase in Resene Silver Chalice, dowel star decoration in Resene Frozen. DIY present decorations in Resene Biscay with hand-painted Resene Black White, present box in Resene Frozen, star box in Resene Biscay and cut-out star decoration in Resene FX Metallic in Silver Aluminium. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
Make your owndowel star decorations
You will need:
- Resene testpots in your favourite colours, we used Resene Frozen
- Testpot brush
- String or twine
- Small dowel sticks
Step 1. Take 3 small thin dowel pieces which are approx. 15cm in length.
Step 2. Paint each dowel in Resene Frozen. You may need to do two coats for best coverage.
Step 3. Lay sticks in star shape and wrap your string or twine around the sticks and secure with a knot.
Step 4. Place on Christmas tree in between branches.
Did you know… that Resene has beautiful metallic colours perfect for adding sparkle to Christmas decorations with the Resene FX Metallics? Look out for favourites Resene Solid Gold and Resene Silver Aluminium and view the whole range at Resene ColorShops and selected resellers.
Go green and serene this Christmas
Bring joy to the world by layering tones of green in a room for a harmonious colour palette. Resene Secrets is painted on the wall and floor with the cabinet in Resene Ravine. Present boxes, building block decorations and round bauble decorations on tree are in Resene Cabbage Pont, Resene Timber Green, Resene Harp, Resene Saltpan, Resene Haven, Resene Spanish Green, Resene Xanadu, Resene Pumice, Resene Ravine and Resene Rainee. Solid arch vase in Resene Pumice, tall ribbed arch vase in Resene Spanish Green and tall ceramic tree decoration in Spanish Green. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
If you lean more towards minimal and elegant in your aesthetic, there are plenty of ways to acknowledge the season with a gentle touch. Collecting foliage and creating natural decorations works especially well – and the shades of green are an obvious choice for an understated but elegant colour scheme. In this room, we have chosen a deliberately gentle green palette, taking a cue from Resene Ravine on the cabinet, a cloudy green, with grey undertones.
The tree is decorated with hand-crafted wooden decorations made from children’s building blocks and painted in tones of green, silver and grey using Resene testpots. These easy-to-make decorations create a bespoke look that stands apart from the tinsel and glitter.
Best on the block
The DIY building block decorations and round bauble decorations on the tree are in Resene Cabbage Pont, Resene Timber Green, Resene Harp, Resene Saltpan, Resene Haven, Resene Spanish Green, Resene Xanadu, Resene Pumice, Resene Ravine and Resene Rainee. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
Double up on decorations and toys by making these simple wooden shapes. After the big day the kids can use them as building blocks or repaint them and use them again next year in a new colour palette. We used a couple of different Resene testpots to build the theme. Bob the Builder would be proud.
How to make building block tree decorations
You will need:
- Box of children’s wooden building blocks (ours were from Kmart)
- Cord
- Drill for drilling holes in blocks
- Resene testpots in your choice of colours; Vanessa used Resene Cabbage Pont, Resene Timber Green, Resene Harp, Resene Saltpan, Resene Haven, Resene Spanish Green, Resene Xanadu, Resene Pumice, Resene Timber Green and Resene Rainee
- Paintbrushes
Step 1: Drill a hole through each block wide enough to thread through your cord for hanging the decorations.
Step 2: Paint all the decorations in two coats of Resene paint.
Step 3: Thread the decorations together in any combination you choose using the cord.
Step 4: Hang on the tree or hang on some branches in a vase.
Whether your Christmas is a small casual gathering at the bach, or a large celebration for extended family and friends with all the trimmings, Resene has lots of colour inspiration to bring cheer to your holiday. For more Christmas project ideas, visit the Resene website.
Top tip: For eye-catching glossy decorations, try Resene Enamacryl. This waterborne paint has an enamel-like toughness and glossy finish that will help your decorations last for years to come.
More Christmas ideas:
A jolly and warm holiday look with Resene Merlot
A green-on-green festive theme
Make a fun advent calendar
Get into the festive spirit with this DIY paper box colour wreath
Create a relaxed Christmas with beach-themed Christmas decorations
Published: 02 Dec 2021
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Double Silver Chalice
Resene Double Silver Chalice
Resene Quarter Frozen
Resene Quarter Frozen
Resene Silver Aluminium
Resene Silver Aluminium
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Spanish Green
the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.
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Resene Double Silver Chalice
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Resene Silver Aluminium
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Resene Spanish Green
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If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
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